Atrium

The other night we visited a newly reopened cinema-theatre, the Atrium. Somehow the place itself turned out to be much more interesting than the play we saw. :)

The building was designed by Lajos Kozma and was finished in 1937, a simply wonderful Art Deco or rather Bauhaus building, the first one in Budapest designed specially to house a cinema. The metal structure underneath was something very modern at the time!

As many buildings in Budapest, it had an interesting history, though after some very eventful years before and after the war, including a stint as a slaughterhouse (!) when Budapest was under siege, it reopened as a cinema again. After it was bombed, a huge sign was put up saying: "People of Buda! Please bring a brick each to rebuild the Atrium! It's your cinema!" :)

Jump ahead a few decades and see Atrium slowly disintegrate as the years pass... It was closed for a good while, so the renovation process last year took months, but now the cinema-theatre almost looks like it used to in the 30s, a very special space indeed. It houses a theatre now but films are also shown from time to time.

We saw a Martin McDonagh play, The Lonesome West. Well, I wrote my MA thesis on Hungarian stage productions of McDonagh's Irish plays. I still think he's a genious, and I'm still happy with my choice of a thesis topic, so I just cannot give up watching them. :)

The same director had a previous version of this play on in another Budapest theatre, and actually I'd love to know why he wanted to redirect it again... Personally I thought it was better the first time around. Still, theatre is theatre and good plays are good plays, so it was great to go!

A few more details from the lobby...

The black and white are so striking with the orange... It's hard to believe how daring some of the 30s designs were!

I think these pillars are my favourite, with the interesting light fixtures... And all the mirrors... Wish I could see how the flats looked like above in the 30s! Someone planning on inventing time travel...?

Pictures by Marco, edited by me.

Wearing: thrifted dress you saw in the previous post, Jeans Club jumper, 

Topshop skirt, H&M tights, Laoni bag from Jojó Art Shop, Docs.

Photographic Time Travel 1920-1930

Probably thanks to period movies I have a distinct picture in my head of 20s looks and fashions - much like the picture above and below.
























However, looking through Fortepan's amateur photographs you don't only see the "do take a picture of me in my best dress" and "well off people in the park" shots, but real, everyday people going about their business... And how different those looks and settings can be!



































My favourite photo from this lot... So everyday, so laid back, so simply, effortlessly perfect.








































She's way ahead of her time, isn't she?























I find it so captivating how they all look into the camera like they'd look into your eye.






















I trend to forget that longago people still had fun. :)






















I wonder who these youngsters are and how did they get to know each other?


























And one more for laughs: twenties trolling. :D

In case you missed my previous Time Travelling posts, here they are:
Photographic Time Travel 1900-1910,
Photographic Time Travel 1910-1920.

All of these wonderful pictures are from Fortepan.hu, which collects amateur photographs from 1900 to 1990, mostly from Hungary, which you can browse and enjoy and also share if you feel like it! The creators collected old negatives and slides, saved pictures from being lost forever. Luckily for us, one day they started to scan and publish them online for everyone to see. So now time travel really is possible for us! All we need is some free time to immerse ourselves in the everyday life of the 20th century... So go on and visit Fortepan and have a browse. You can also read more about their project here!







































<3

Styling Rozina

This gorgoeus lady is Rozina Pátkai, a jazz singer whose photoshoot I had the luck to style. It's always a great pleasure to work with Zsófi Raffay, a brilliant photographer indeed!

First of all, we met Rozina, who explained what sort of pictures she imagines and discussed the atmosphere and general style of the future shoot... She also sent us links to her band's music, which immediately started me thinking. It's wonderful to be part of a creative process which starts with music and ends with pictures. A few days later I was ready to visit her and wreak havoc in her wardrobe!








































I made some sketches about the type of dresses that would suit her shape (she has a great figure, as believe it or not she's also a fencing champion!) and work for the shoot - we both imagined something colourful, and not too elegant, but still put-together. A bit like how you dress for a date you're really looking forward to and you're very happy about! :)

After a long trying-on session, and looking through both Rozina and her Mum's wardrobe, plus my suitcase of accessories, we came up with one full outfit, featuring the yellow dress accented with spicy colours in the shape of flower pins and belts, and we also agreed on a dark blue dress as well, with red sandals.





















Let me tell you, it is the best feeling when the people whose styling you're working on follow your general guidelines and go shopping on their own, turning up with a few perfect pieces! That's exactly what Rozina did, and sent me the pictures of a few more dresses she picked up for the shoot - the green and red ones you can see below. I made sure I picked up accessories for these as well, and we were ready for the shoot, which took place in a wonderful retro café, Táskarádió.






















The shoot was great fun and I just love the pictures... At the moment this reclining one is my fave. :)
I hope Rozina can use them promoting her music! Here's the link to her blog where you can find all the links to their great bossa novas and jazz songs.
Oh, and do look around Zsófi's photos as well, they're absolutely worth a good look!











































Aaaaand, this is not the end of the story. A week or so later we also did a shoot for the whole band! More pictures to come! :) 

(Obviously no animals were harmed, this is just a fake butterfly. :)

Be Carefree Car-Free!

There is an international day dedicated to travelling car-free, did you know? It's tomorrow, the 22nd of September.

We tend to forget how easy it is to take public transport within the city instead of sitting in traffic jams, while all the buses rattle past us in the empty bus lane... Not having to search for a parking space, just propping up our bikes right next to our destination... Walk to the corner shop for what we need instead of buying up everything in a hypermarket thinking "I don't have to carry it, I might as well buy this and this and this too...". Curling up on a seat on the night bus after a night out instead of paying for a taxi... (I won't even go into environmental issues here, we know those all too well.)

So how about not getting into your cars tomorrow, take the bus, get on your bikes or just walk! I will definitely do so! :)

Car-Free Day has been celebrated for a few years here in Budapest, when the great Andrássy boulevard is closed down and people stroll and cycle all over, look at stalls where they can learn more about environmental issues and check out arts and crafts stuff in the middle of the city. This year I made some small paintings that will await their buyers anxiously at the stall of Jojó Art Shop, here's a sampling for you! The green paper you see is from a photo album from 1909 (that was the date pencilled into it). I found it in a second hand bookshop, in a very cheap pile, after the owner took out all the pictures and left the book there, falling apart. The paper is gorgeous and I love painting on it...

Bloggers and Bridges

What a busy week! Lots of new experiences, lots of new people!






































Let me introduce Carina, who's a German blogger behind the Bad Taste Toast blog. She's visiting Hungary on business, and being a lovely girl that she is, she suggested a blogger meetup!





We met for coffee and cakes last week, and got on so well (even without mentioning blogs) that we decided we should meet up for a stroll and picture taking in the weekend. Let me tell you, it's amazing to walk around, see a great photo spot and having someone with you who understands your enthusiasm and even takes your pictures! :D






































Obviously gritty backgrounds are my weakness. What can I say, I love rust. :)







































Carina's favourite Budapest bridge is the lovely green Freedom Bridge, so we headed over to snap some photos overlooking the Danube. Playing tourist in your own city - what a great way to spend the weekend. Suddenly you see well-known sights differently!




























































Then we walked up Gellért Hill and agreed that the weather was simply perfect, not too cold, not too hot... Ideal for sightseeing as the skies were so clear.





















We stayed on the top of the hill, looking down at the city and discussing blogging and other things until the sun started to set, then we strolled down the hill towards Elizabeth Bridge bathed in warm light, and decided that this definitely wasn't our last meeting. In fact, we're planning another one this week, while Carina is in Budapest.

Carina, thank you for the great pictures and the great times!
Check out Carina's blog on her take on our meetup and whimsical, fun style!





















My first ever blogger meetup was a definite success. Looking forward to more to come. Any of you visiting Budapest this summer? :)

Wearing: Bag, brooches and rings from Jojó Art Shop, Scarf from Bahia, Earrings from an art market, Takko jeans, thrifted jacket and top, shrug from a Chinese shop, Doc Martens. 

All brill pictures of me by Carina! Editing and other photos by me.

Tell Me Your Dreams

Well, you know I've been dreaming of snow... Finally, it's been snowing all weekend!
I'm so happy! :)







































I had to run out with my tripod to snap a few pictures! Then I put on one more sweater and picked up my umbrella to fend against the wind, and set off for a lovely, wonderful, beautiful, snow-filled walk in the Castle.






































The Castle District oozes history, there are always moments I feel I could be in another century.






































Or a few decades back... Being told off for wandering into a side street by the president's residence by soldiers was a major let down... I hope we're not becoming a police state! Come on, I don't think I look anything like a terrorist. A girl with a see-through umbrella and a camera surely isn't a major threat.






































There weren't many tourists about but those who dared the icy wind were in for a sure treat...






































Look at the Chain Bridge!







































And the Parliament behind a curtain of snow...





















Ah, bliss! :)

Wearing: Doc Martens, Jeans Club sweater, Takko jeans, New Yorker coat, 

C&A circle scarf, umbrella from an underpass. (I wore a few more layers, rest assured! :)

Grey Like Old Stone

Actually I’m not that grey.

Especially when I’m laughing my head off.

The benefits of having my Boyfriend as a photographer - I'm entertained. :)

Are you craving a strange-embarrassing fact? Just look at this top. It says: „Bitchin' frosty time to ride”. Now what the flipping hell does that mean? I got it in a Chinese shop and they often print nonsense on their t-shirts, and I bought this one partly because I was so perplexed by the slogan accompanied by a pretty flower... Odd.

Strange fact Number 2: Have you noticed these statues I'm posing by being sort of similar to each other? (Apart from them being rather creepy if not downright scary.) That’s because the artist used the same model for all 6 characters in the group.

The statues actually commemorate the 1514 peasant’s revolt in Hungary, led by György Dózsa (whose head is adorned by a pigeon at this very moment). This revolt, as all of the revolutions in Hungary’s long and turbulent history, was brought down cruelly but remembered fondly. Peasants marching against their almighty lords only carrying weapons fashioned from what they worked with, clothed only in thin linen, wearing no shoes…

They weren't heroes, just everday people who had a very hard life, and I’m sure they looked much more normal and nice than these statues. Imagine different shapes, not only this doorframe largeness, but slight and thin men too, imagine dainty noses, as well as very crooked ones, imagine tall men with huge curly hair, small guys with piercing blue eyes and winning smiles… They must have been like all the men today who we walk past on the streets. Or those who stand up and fight against inequality and suppression still, in 2011.

Yes, these statues might be quite ugly, not very well executed, but they make me think and imagine the people behind the story and they make me think of all the men and women who fight for their liberty today. So I like them.

Wearing: trousers: handed down, top and shoes: Chinese shop, Sunglasses: New Yorker